Sweeping device



'W. NI. DUNCAN.

SWEEPIMG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.10, 1919.

Pmmd Nov. 2, 1926.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

www) 1 w. M. DUNCAN.

SWEEPING DEVICE.

APPLICATIQN FILED JAN. lo, 1919.

1,3574693 Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. M. DUNCAN.

SWEEFING DEVICE.

1,3572693. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1.0. |919. Patented NOV. 2,

a SHEETS-SHEET 31 lfignr.-

' therein.

UNITED srnrss WILLIAM lVL DUNCAN, 0F .ALTON, ILLINOIS.

SWEEPING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application led January 10, 1919. Serial No. 270,568.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. DUNCAN, acitizen of the United States of America, a resident of Alton, in thecounty of Madison, State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Sweeping Devices, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sweeping devices, and moreparticularly to a sweeping device comprising a Vsuccession of sweepscooperating with each other to pass the sweepings from one point to another. The new device is adaptedV for use with a traveling furnace gratefrom which ashes are discharged at one end of the grate to an ash pitbelow the grate. When so used the series of sweeps are preferablymounted in the ash pit, and the ashes dropping from one end of the grateare discharged into the path of a sweep at one end of the series.

VOwing to the manner in which the sweeps are mounted and driven, theashes are passed from one sweep to another and finally delivered to apart of the ash pit from which they can be conveniently removed.

In the preferred form of the invention, the transferring sweeping devicecomprises a succession of sweep arms, one of which is adapted to occupya delivery position over the path of another, andy these arms are drivento and from their delivery positions, with the result of passing theashes from one sweep arm to another. The ashes may be thus swept fromthe rear to the front of the ash pit. Y Y

The new device may be mounted in a relatively shallow ash pit, and thisis an advantage in someV localities where conditions do not permit theuse of a deep pit under the grate.

Figure I is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a furnaceequipped with a sweeping device constructed in accordance with thisinvention.

Fig. II is a horizontal section showing the ash pit and the sweepingdevice mounted Fig. III is a vertical section, partly in elevation,showing the means for transmitting power-to the sweeping device.

Fig. IV is a diagrammatical plan view, on a small scale, showing theoscillatory sweep arms mounted in the ash pit,

- 'Io illustrate the invention I have shown a furnace provided with amechanical Stoker' qcomprising an endless chain grate supported by alarge, portable frame, said frame in cluding side frame members lmounted on wheels 2, and rollers 3 arranged between the side framemembers. The endless chain grate. comprises endless rows of grate linksl- (hig. I) connected by means of pivots 5. A power shaft 7, mounted inthe side f ame members l, is `provided with sprocket wheels 8 fortransmitting movement to the chain grate. The grate is mounted on thesprocket wheel 8, and also on a plain idle wheel, or roller, 9 thelatter being secured to an idle shaft l0. rllhe fuel passes from ahopper l2 (Figl) te the top face of the grate, and

the grate linlrs travel in the rdirection indicated by arrows, thelashes being discharged at the rear end of the grate structure. The ashesare thus delivered to an ash pit 13 formed below the grate structure.

I will now describe the sweeping device whereby the ashes are swept fromthe rear end of the ash pit to the front end. l5 designates horizontalsweep arms mounted in the ash pit and movable over the horizontal floorthereof, said sweep arms being mounted'adjacent to each other so` thatone of the' arms may move into the path of another, `as indicated `byarrows in Figs. II and IV. The sweep arm l5 at the rear end of theseries moves under the discharge end of the traveling grate structure,and the several arms 15 may be oscillated with the result of passing theashes from one'arm to another,` the object being to sweep the ashes tothe front end of the ash pit, or to some other point from which they canbe conveniently removed.

Each sweep arm 15 is fixed to a vertical shaft 16 provided with a pinion17, which meshes with a long reciprocating rack bar 18.V It is to beunderstood, however, that the invention is not` limited tothisparticular means for transmittingpower to the sweep In the structureI have shown the raclrand pinions are located entirely above thesweeparms. The rack is adapted to reciprocate in stationary guide members 19.

The` rack is driven veryy slowly7 and the` sweep arms 15 osoillate linresponse to the slow reciprocating movements of the rack. rEhe strokesof the rack may be long enough to turn the sweep arms 15 about onerevolution, and it is to be understood that theJ sweep arms turn inopposite directions response to the reciprocation of the rack.,

In Fig. IVV I have shown several piles of ashes designated A, B, C, Dand E` located adjacent to the sweep arms. Each of the arms, exceptingthe arm adjacent to the pile E, occupies a delivery position over thepath of one of the other arms. To reach these positions the sweep armshave moved 1n a counter-clockwise direction, as indicated by .Y

arrows inV F ig. IV, and the mechanism is so timed that the movementwill be reversed when the sweep arms occupy these positions.

Therefore, the arms 15, moving in a clockwise direction, will pass awayfrom thepiles of ashes, and as the motion continues each arm will againengage a pile of ashes Vand move it-toward the front of the ash pit. Forexample, in one revolution the arm 15 at l the rear Vof the ash pit willgather a pile of ashes and deliver it to the point indicated by A inFig. IV, whereupon the movement of 'said arm will be reversed and itwill gather another pile, delivering it near the peint A rIhe ashes arethus swept from the Vrear of the ash pitA to the path of the second arm,and in'malring one revolution this seeond arm will move from the pile Band gather up the pile A, so as to transfer the pile A tothe positionindicated by 13. All of the sweep arms'move simultaneously and the pilesA', B," C

vanced Vone step in response to each operaion of the sweep arms.

To illustrate a Suitable means for reciproeating the long rack bar 18, Ihave shown a with the power Vshaft 27 and it may be shifted to driveeither the wheel 25 or the wheel 26, both of said wheels being looselymounted on the shaft. The means lfor shiftingthe clutch device comprisesa longitudimovable slide bar 29, a shifter fork 30 l:is provided securedto said bar and fitted to the clutch deviceand cam actuated arms 3l. and32 fined to said bar 29. A rotary gear wheel 33 3 1 and 32 for thepurpose of shifting the clutch device 28. These cams 31 vand 32 areinthe form ofareuateribs secured to oppo- "site sides of the gear wheel33 and provided v inclined endsadapted to l*engage upturned portions ofthe `arms `31 and 32. IWhe'nth'e cam 31 passes from the arm 31,

the 'cam` 32" `engagesthe 'arm 32,"thereby shifting the' clutch Adeviceand, thereafter,

and VD areY each .ad-

with oppositely disposed cams v31 'and"32, which coperate with the arms.when the cam 32 passes from the arm 32, the clutch is shifted throughthe medium of cam 3l and arm 31. The clutch device 28 is thus'shifted onthe rotary power shaft 27, so as to alternately transmit movement to thebevel gears 25 and 26, thereby transmitting an oscillatory movement tothe'bevel gear 24 and shaft 23. The large gear wheel 33 may be driventhrough the medium of a pinion 311 fixed Vtofthe rotary power shaft 27.A

I claim: 1. In a transferring Ysweeping device of the characterdescribed, a succession of sweeps movable about fixed vaXes and in pathsadjacent to eachother, and operating means whereby said lsweeps areoscillated about said fixed axes totransfer the sweepings fromone'sw'eep to another.

2. In a transferring sweeping device of the character described, asuccession of approximately horizontal sweeps one'of which ismovableover the path of another,and rotary means whereby said Vsweepsare turned l about vertical axes to transfer the sweepings from onesweep to anether.

Y 3. In a transferring sweeping device of the character described,succes ion' of oscillatory sweep arms movable aboutfixedaxes and invpaths adjacent to each other, androtary operating means whereby saidsweep arms are turned inzopposite directions, more than one half-ofa'revolution to pass the sweepings from one armto another.

e. In a transferring sweeping device of l the character described, asuccession of approximately horizontal sweeparms mounted over the floorto be swept, ene of said arms being movable over the path of another,and( rotary. operating means whereby said arms are turned in oppositedirections, more than one half of a revolution so as to pass. the

sweepings from one arm to another.

5. Inl a transferring sweeping device of i theV character described, asuccession of approximately horizontal sweep arms mounted over the floorto be swept, said sweep arms being movable aboutapproiiimately verticalaxes and being mounted adjacent to each.

"other so that one Varm may occupy a delivery position over the path ofanother arm, and

operating means whereby said sweepjar'ms are moved te and from'thei'rdelivery positions,there by passingthe sweepings fromVVA one arm teanother.

6. In a transferring sweeping .device 'ef the character described, asuccession vof oscillatory-'sweep arms mounted over the floor to beswept, said sweep arms being approxi-` mately horizontal vand :theiraxes being approximately vertical, said sweep arms being mountedadj'acentto veach 'other so that one arm may occupyl an extreme deliveryposition at the-path of another arm, and operating meansV lwhereby saidsweep arms are oscillated to and from their delivery positions, therebydelivering the sweepings from other arm, and operating means wherebysaid shafts and sweep arms are oscillated to move the sweep arms to andtrom their delivery positions, thereby passing the sweepings from onesweep arm to another.

8. In a transferring sweeping device ot the character described, asuccession of oscillatory sweep arms mounted over the iieor to be swept,said sweep arms being mounted adjacent to each other so that one arm mayoccupy an eXtremev delivery position at the path of another arm, rotaryoperating means, and an automatic reversing device whereby oscillatorymovements are transmitted 'from said operating means to said p sweeparms.

proximately horizontal sweep arms mounted over the floor to be swept,oscillatory shafts to which the respective sweep arms are secured, saidsweep arms being mounted adj acent to each other so that one arm mayoccupy a delivery position in the path of 'another arm, rotary operatingmeans, and an automatic reversing device whereby oscillatory movementsare transmitted from said rotary operating means to said oscillatoryshafts.

l0. The combination ot' a continuous traveling grate 'from which ashesare discharged at one end oi the grate structure, an ash pit below thegrate, a succession of approximately horizontal sweep arms mounted insaid ash pit and movable over the floor thereof, said sweep arms beingmounted adjacent to each other so that one arm may occupy a deliveryposition over the path. of another arm, and operating means whereby saidsweep arms are turned, more than one halt of a revolution to andfrom'their delivery positions so as to pass the ashes fromV one arm toanother.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto afix my signature.

WILLIAM M. DUNCAN

